Find Your Way Home
by Ally4
Summary: 10 years after the events of Becoming. Buffy comes back to Sunnydale and turns Dawn\'s life upside down.
1. Prologue

Title: Find Your Way Home (0/?)  
Author: Ally  
Email: slaygal242@hotmail.com  
Disclaimer: With the exception of a few characters, no Buffy or Angel characters belong to me. They belong to Joss Whedon, Fox and UPN.  
Rating: G to R (can't really write smut)  
Category: Story/Romance/Angst  
Keywords: Alternate Universe/Futurefic  
Pairings:   
·Main: Dawn/Xander, Buffy/Spike  
·Others: Angel/Fred, Willow/Oz, Faith/Tara, Cordy/Doyle, Gunn/Anya, Joyce/Giles, Wesley/Virginia  
Distribution: You want this? Take it; just tell me where it's going.  
Summary: 10 years later. Buffy comes back to a very different Sunnydale.  
Author's Notes: Did you ever have a story you can't get out of your head? Well, this is mine. Hope you like it.  
Feedback: Always Appreciated. I have to know whether to finish this story or not.  
  
  
  
She saw her friends standing in front of the school. Willow was in a wheelchair and Giles looked beat up. Neither one should have been there, but they felt obligated to show up. They were also hoping that Buffy would be there too. She was too far away to hear them, but knew they were talking about her. Was she ok, where was she? Too many questions to answer at the moment.  
  
They began walking away, though she saw Willow glancing back, looking to see if her best friend would be walking up the sidewalk. Buffy knew better though. She took one last good look at her friends, trying to remember what they looked like. Then she walked away from everything she had ever known and towards something unknown, but better than what she was living now.  
  
An hour later, she boarded the bus and soon they were driving down the street. She saw the "Now Leaving Sunnydale. Please Come Again" sign and sighed. Maybe she would come back. Maybe she would see her friends again. She didn't think so though. The memories were too fresh, the wounds too deep. She hoped her friends would understand. She was doing this for them. She knew her mother never would and explaining it to Dawn would be hard. Still, this was what she had to do. She just hoped that if she ever came back, they would welcome her back with open arms.   
  
Her last thought before she fell asleep was 'Someday. Someday.'  
  



	2. Find Your Way Home

Title: Find Your Way Home (1/?)  
Author: Ally  
Email: slaygal242@hotmail.com  
Disclaimer: With the exception of a few characters, no Buffy or Angel characters belong to me. They belong to Joss Whedon, Fox and UPN.  
Rating: G to R (can't really write smut)  
Category: Story/Romance/Angst  
Keywords: Alternate Universe/Futurefic  
Pairings:   
·Main: Dawn/Xander, Buffy/Spike  
·Others: Angel/Fred, Willow/Oz, Faith/Tara, Cordy/Doyle, Gunn/Anya, Joyce/Giles, Wesley/Virginia  
Distribution: You want this? Take it; just tell me where it's going.  
Summary: 10 years later. Buffy comes back to a very different Sunnydale.  
Author's Notes: Did you ever have a story you can't get out of your head? Well, this is mine. Hope you like it.  
Feedback: Always Appreciated. I have to know whether to finish this story or not.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Dawn, are you almost ready to go?" her mother asked, coming into her room.  
  
"Almost" she said, turning around. She saw her mother looking at her strangely. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing. It's just at times like this, you remind me so much of Buffy" she said, her eyes tearing.  
  
Dawn felt her heart breaking. At that moment, she was so angry with her sister for leaving them. It was so tough for them after Buffy left and Dawn didn't think they would make it through the days. Somehow, they did, though they did go through some rough patches. One of them was when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. It was one of the toughest times of her life, but her friends were there for her.   
  
That's also when her mother and Giles got closer. They started dating when her mother first got sick and he stayed by her side through the whole ordeal. Giles even proposed before her mother went into surgery.  
  
Dawn smiled at the memory, letting it wash over her. Her mind then fast-forwarded to the wedding. She was the maid of honor and cried through the whole thing.  
  
"Dawn, are you ok?" her mom asked at her faraway look.  
  
"Yeah, mom. I'm fine. Just thinking about stuff" she said, shaking her head.  
  
Her mother smiled and nodded. "Are you almost ready? Justin is getting restless."  
  
She smiled back. "Tell him I'm almost ready" she said.  
  
"All right, but he's ready to go now" she said, walking out.  
  
Dawn hid a small smile and put her hair in a ponytail. She knew Justin was getting antsy, but she wanted to look good for her boyfriend…no fiancée now. He had just proposed and the whole gang was going out to celebrate.  
  
Once she made sure she looked good, she was ready to go. She shut off the lights and bounded down the stairs. "I'm ready," she said, entering the room.  
  
"Finally" Justin said, getting up.  
  
"Sorry buddy" she said, ruffling his hair.  
  
"Aww, mom" he said.  
  
"C'mon get your coat. The others are probably already there."  
  
"K, be right back" he said, bounding upstairs.  
  
She laughed and turned to her mother. "You sure you'll be Ok by yourself. You know you could come."  
  
"I knew, honey. But with you two gone and Giles in England, I'm gonna catch up on my reading. You go have fun with your friends."  
  
Justin came down then and tugged on Dawn's hand. "C'mon, let's go. Xander said he'd teach me to throw a strike."  
  
"Ok, bye mom."  
  
"Bye, grandma" Justin said, going over and kissing her on the cheek.  
  
She looked to see if Dawn was looking and slipped her grandson a $10. "Don't tell your mom," she said, smiling.  
  
"Thanks, grandma" he said, smiling.  
  
Dawn came back into the room, keys in hand. "Ok, let's go."  
  
So they said goodbye again and hopped in the car. As they headed towards the bowling alley she looked over at Justin. "How are you doing?" she asked.  
  
"Fine. I can't wait to see everyone again."  
  
"And you're ok with this whole engagement thing?"  
  
"Are you kidding me? I think it's great! I just want you to be happy, mom."  
  
They had pulled into the parking lot by then and Dawn wiped away a few tears. "You know, you're the best kid a mom could have," she said, hugging her son.  
  
He hugged her back and said, "I know."  
  
They laughed and finally got out of the car and walked into the bowling alley. Since Angel owned it, he had closed it down for the night. Still, the place was crowded with her friends. She felt familiar warmth spread through her as she saw the Scooby Gang mingle and talk.  
  
When Buffy first left, Dawn thought things would never be the same. She liked Buffy's friends and didn't know if they would stick around. They did though and accepted Dawn as one of their own. And while the dynamics had changed and grew, they were still as close as ever.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she collected herself and walked over to the group. "Hey, guys" she said, smiling.  
  
"Well if it isn't the woman of the hour" Spike said, going over to her. The others followed, hugging her and wishing her good luck.  
  
It took all her willpower not to cry, but managed to succeed. "Thanks guys. I don't know how to thank you."  
  
"The look on your face is enough for me," Angel said, smiling.  
  
She smiled back and said, "Where is the man of the hour anyway?"  
  
"He went to go get some ice. He should be back soon" Willow said, her daughter on her lap.  
  
"Ok" Dawn said, sitting down.  
  
"Well, since almost everyone is here, why don't we start to bowl?" Angel asked.  
  
There was a collective cheer and while they knew could spread out, they split up into teams of five over three lanes. That way they could talk and have some fun.  
  
After some light arguing and switching lanes, everyone was set. Willow, Oz, Faith, Tara and Anya were on one lane. Doyle, Cordy, Angel, Fred and Gunn were on another, while Wesley, Virginia, Dawn, Spike, Xander were on the final one.  
  
Just as they were about to start, the doors burst open and Xander barreled through with two bags of ice. "Hey everyone. Sorry it took so long" he said, setting the bags down.  
  
Dawn smiled and went over to him. "Hey" she said, quietly.  
  
"Hey, how's my favorite fiancée doing?" he asked, with a smile.  
  
She felt the butterflies intensify in her stomach. They had been going out for almost a year, when out to the blue, he got down on one knee and proposed. She was shocked at first, but after it wore off, she said yes. That was a week ago and she was still on cloud nine.  
  
"Fine. How's my favorite guy in the world doing?"  
  
"I don't know. Where is he?" Xander asked, looking around.  
  
She laughed and hit him and the chest. He gathered her in his arms and she sighed contentedly. Nothing could be more perfect than this moment.  
  
"So, no second thoughts?" he asked.  
  
"No, why are …"  
  
"No, never. I love you Dawn and nothing will ever change that " he said, kissing her soundly on the lips.  
  
"If your quite done, we'd like to bowl now" Faith said, from her seat next to Tara.  
  
Xander sighed. "You know how to ruin a moment Faith. You know that."  
  
"It's what I'm good at" she said, smiling.  
  
He groaned, but Dawn just grabbed his hand and led him over to the others. Justin immediately ran to him. "Xander!" he said as he picked him up.  
  
"Hey, kiddo. You ready to bowl?"  
  
He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!"  
  
"Ok, then. What are we waiting for? Let's do this!" he said.  
  
They cheered again and soon the sound of balls rolling and pins getting knocked down could be heard.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was almost midnight, by the time Dawn and Justin entered the house. They had a great time, but Justin was exhausted and fell asleep in the car. So Dawn had to carry him to bed.   
  
She noticed the kitchen light was on, but didn't want to disturb Justin. She heard her mother talking to someone and figured it was Giles.  
  
So she climbed the steps and slipped Justin into bed. She didn't want to wake him, she left his clothes on. She put on the night light and was about to shut the door when she heard him say "Night, mom."  
  
She smiled and said "Night, honey." Then she shut the door and tiptoed downstairs. Her mom was standing there, looking at her. "Hey mom. I was just gonna go see you."  
  
Her mother's face looked strange and she said "Honey, there's someone to see you."  
  
"Who?"   
  
"You should just go see."  
  
This piqued Dawn's curiosity, so she went into the kitchen. And there standing at the counter was a face Dawn hadn't seen in almost ten years. She stood there, stunned for a moment.   
  
"Hey Dawn. Miss me?"  
  
That shook her out of her stupor and she said "Buffy?"  



	3. Find Your Way Home

Title: Find Your Way Home   
Author: Ally   
Disclaimer: With the exception of my own creations, no Buffy or Angel   
characters belong to me. They belong to Joss Whedon, Fox and UPN.   
Rating: G to R   
Keywords: Alternate Universe/Futurefic   
Pairings:   
Main: D/X, B/S   
Others: J/G, W/V, A/Fr, A/G, F/T, W/O, C/D   
Distribution: You want this? Take it; just tell me where it's going.   
Author's Notes: Did you ever have a story you can't get out of your head? Well, this is mine. Hope you like it.   
Feedback: Always appreciated.   
  
  
Dawn stood there, just looking at her sister. At first, she thought she was   
dreaming, but that was disproved when Buffy came over and hugged her. She   
instinctively put her arms around Buffy. She was skinnier than Dawn   
remembered, but that didn't seem to matter. Her sister was here and alive!   
  
They broke apart a few minutes later and Dawn had to wipe her eyes. She had   
imagined this moment so many times over the past 10 years. She imagined how   
she would react, what she would say. The scenarios had always been different,   
ranging from anger to sadness to happiness. Now that Buffy was here in the   
flesh, it seemed to be somewhere in the middle. She was happy that Buffy was   
back, but she was angry that she was gone for so long. It all happened within   
moments, but she felt everything.   
  
Dawn then realized that she was blatantly staring at her sister, but she   
couldn't help it. Her hair was a dark brown now, almost black and fell past   
her shoulders. She looked like she lost some weight and her eyes seemed to   
have lost some of their glow. She wore a plain black, long sleeved T-shirt   
and a pair of ratty sweats that had seen better days. She truly wondered if   
Buffy was homeless and felt a pang of sadness at that thought.   
  
Buffy, meanwhile, knew Dawn was still in shock and so let her sister stare   
for as long as she wanted. She was doing her fair share of staring herself.   
Buffy couldn't believe her little sister was all grown up. Her hair was blond   
and a little shorter than Buffy's and put up into a ponytail. She was wearing   
a simple pair of jeans and a UC Sunnydale sweatshirt, but she still looked   
radiant.   
  
They finally broke the stare and Dawn said "What are you doing here?"   
  
"To be honest, I don't know. I was sitting in my apartment, looking at old   
photos and I just felt I had to come here" she said, sheepishly.   
  
Dawn noticed she was fidgeting and rubbing her arms. He also wasn't looking   
right at Dawn, but anything else she could focus her attention on. This   
worried Dawn, but this was her sister and she had to trust her, whether she   
was lying or not. Then again...   
  
Buffy noticed her sister's discomfort and said "Listen, I know that this   
doesn't make sense and I understand you don't like me too much right now, but   
this is something I felt I had to do."   
  
Dawn was about to answer, when Joyce entered the room. Her face looked drawn   
and tight. "So how is everything going in here?" she asked, nervously.   
  
"Great, Mom" Dawn said, with a fake smile. She looked at Buffy who also   
nodded.   
  
Joyce's face visibly relaxed. "Oh good." Then she paused, just looking at   
Dawn and Buffy. She suddenly started crying, the sobs racking her body.   
  
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked in a concerned tone.   
  
"Nothing. It's just...my two daughters in the same room. I never thought I'd   
live to see this moment" she said, breaking down again.   
  
Buffy immediately went over to her and they embraced, tears running down   
their faces. Dawn smiled, but couldn't help, but feel anger and confusion.   
Anger at Buffy leaving in the first place and confusion at her return.   
  
A few minutes later, they broke apart, wiping their eyes. "I set up the couch   
for you. It's not much, but it's comfortable" Joyce said, blowing her nose.   
  
"OK, but what's wrong with my room?"   
  
Dawn and Joyce shared a look. Her mother hadn't told Buffy about Justin and   
for that Dawn was grateful. When she realized Buffy needed an answer, she   
said "It's a....surprise"   
  
"Oh, I like surprises."   
  
"Well, we'll see about that."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
A few minutes later, they all said good night and Dawn collapsed on her bed.   
It had been a very long day and Dawn was extremely tired, yet, she couldn't   
sleep. She felt wired and it was all Buffy's fault.   
  
Sighing, she got up and checked on Justin, who was sleeping peacefully. She   
smiled and shut the door. Then her gaze fell on the phone and she felt like   
calling Xander. He was her rock and he could make things better. Still, the   
subject matter would not go over well with him. She needed to tell someone   
though and she knew the perfect person.   
  
So before, she could change her mind, she picked up the phone and dialed the number. " Please be up, please be up" she muttered.   
  
After three rings, she heard "'ello."   
  
"Spike? It's Dawn."   
  
Hi, Bit" he said.   
  
"Hi, listen. Something happened tonight, but you have to promise not to tell   
the gang."   
  
"Okay, never really liked the wankers anyway." She laughed, a little of the   
tension draining away.   
  
"Anyway....Buffy came back." There was total silence on the other end and   
Dawn thought something happened. "Spike, are you there?"   
  
"Yeah, pet. I'm here. Just a little surprised is all."   
  
"Join the club."   
  
"So, what, she was just there?"   
  
"Basically. I came home and she was just there. She's actually sleeping on the couch now."   
  
"She doesn't know about..."   
  
"No, but she will tomorrow."   
  
"Wow, so what are you going to do?"   
  
"Right now, I don't know. I'm just really confused right now" she said, tears springing to her eyes.   
  
"Do you need me to come over? Kick her ass?"   
  
She laughed. "That's sweet, but no. I just needed to get that out of my   
system."   
  
"Not a problem, pet. Glad I could help."   
  
"Thanks again. Bye."   
  
"Bye" he said, as she hung up.   
  
After she hung up the phone, Dawn sat in the dark for a minute, collecting   
her thoughts. She was still suspicious about Buffy's appearance, but she was   
too tired to think about the ramifications now. So she changed and slipped   
under the covers. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was fast asleep and   
dreaming.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*   
Dream   
~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
It was a bright and sunny day and Dawn was in the park with Justin. Xander   
was sitting on a bench watching mother and son play. She was truly happy for   
the first time in her life.   
  
She saw the others, scattered around, including Spike and Ange, which was   
weird, since they were vampires. Still, she shook that off and enjoyed the   
day.   
  
Justin was on a swing. "Higher, mommy. Higher!"   
  
She complied as Xander came over and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I   
love you, honey" he whispered.   
  
Dawn closed her eyes and sunk into his embrace. She was surrounded in warmth   
for who knew when, when it was taken away from her.   
  
She opened her eyes and the park was dark, smoke billowing from burning piles   
of trash. Dawn looked around, seeing no one, the swing rocking helplessly in   
the breeze.   
  
*Where'd everybody go?* she wondered, walking.   
  
She didn't have to walk far, as she saw Buffy putting her stake in Angel's   
chest. "No!" she screamed, running towards her.   
  
"Dawn, glad you could make it" Buffy said, her eyes gleaming with malice.   
  
"Buffy, what are you doing?"   
  
"Making things right. You got to have the perfect life, while I was begging   
for food on the street!! Well, tonight it ends. Tonight, I take the one thing   
away from you that you always wanted!"   
  
She lifted Xander up by the hair, his face a bloody mess. "I'm sorry" he   
whispered.   
  
Dawn couldn't believe what was happening. Her friends lay dead around her and   
Justin was in a cage cowering in a corner.   
  
"Buffy, please. Let him go. Let Justin go!"   
  
"No! You don't get to have the perfect life. I'm sorry. I really am" she   
whispered, burying the knife she held, into Xander's stomach.   
  
His eyes got huge and he sunk to the ground. Blood was gushing everywhere. He   
then looked up at Dawn, his eyes shining with love, then he whispered "Dawn"   
and fell to the ground.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
End Dream   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
Dawn bolted up in bed, her body covered in sweat. She could feel the tears   
streaming down her face and her heart was beating wildly.   
  
After a couple of deep breaths, she calmed down, the dream leaving the   
recesses of her mind, but leaving an unsettling feeling in her stomach. She   
got out of bed and quickly checked on Justin. He was still sleeping   
peacefully, his breathing deep and easy. She sighed with relief and quietly   
shut the door.   
  
As she walked back into her room, her eyes spied the clock. It was blinking   
7:50 am. *Maybe Xander's up* she thought, grabbing the phone and dialing his   
number.   
  
After a few rings, she heard "Hello?"   
  
"Did I wake you?" she asked, nervously.   
  
"No, I just got up. Why, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice rising in panic.   
  
"I just had a dream and it scared me" she said, her voice cracking.   
  
"What was it about?" he asked, soothingly.   
  
"You died."   
  
"Honey, trust me. I'm alive and well and wishing I was with you."   
  
She smiled and said "Me too. I'm sorry I worried you."   
  
"Don't be sorry. Are you sure you're OK?"   
  
"Now that I'm hearing you? Yeah."   
  
"Well, I gotta get ready for work. I love you."   
  
"I love you too. Bye."   
  
"Bye" he said, hanging up.   
  
Like the night before, Dawn sat in the silence thinking about things. Was   
Buffy okay or was she just being paranoid? Now that she was back, would   
things change? Too many questions and not enough answers. She felt tempted to   
call Spike, but he was probably still sleeping, something she badly wanted to   
get back to. She glanced at the clock again. She had to be at the alley and   
nine and it was eight now. In the beginning, when Angel first bought the   
alley, that the schedule was flexible, but Dawn felt her guilt kick in. So   
she grabbed her stuff and took a quick shower. The dream was still lingering   
in her mind and she shuddered in the morning air. She felt something was   
coming, but she wished she knew what it was.   
  
Dawn sighed and went back into her room to see Justin sleeping in her bed. He   
sometimes did that when he got scared or lonely, grasping Buffy's pig Mr.   
Gordo in his hands. She smiled and kissed his forehead. He was her pride and   
joy. He made the days worth living and she was proud to be his mother.   
  
Knowing that time was of the essence, she dressed quickly in a pair of khakis   
and a green AE shirt. She remembered a time when she wanted the best looking   
clothing, but she realized that there were more important things in life and   
one of them was sleeping in her bed. She didn't want to wake Justin up, but   
she had to get him to Willow. She was baby sitting him 2 days a week, while   
she was on maternity leave and she did it for free which helped Dawn out a   
lot.   
  
Just as she was about to wake him up, she heard a knock on the door. She   
opened it up and said "Buffy!"   
  
"Yeah, Mom wanted to see if you were up" she said, a little sheepishly.   
  
"Oh, OK" she said, blocking Buffy's view of the room.   
  
Buffy smiled and said "Is my surprise in there?"   
  
"You could say that. Come on in" she said, opening the door wider.   
  
She walked into the room and stopped at the bed. Dawn saw Buffy's face fall.   
"Who is this?"   
  
"This is my son Justin."   
  
"S-son?"   
  
Mmhmm. He'll be four in August."   
  
"Wow."   
  
"That's what I said." They shared a smile and then Buffy looked back at   
Justin. Dawn saw her face change into a soft smile.   
  
"You know, if you don't want to wake him, I can watch him."   
  
"I don't know..." she trailed off.   
  
"Hey, I understand. Just thought I'd help out" she said, her voice sounding   
hurt.   
  
Dawn sighed. "You know what? It would help me out a lot if you would watch   
Justin. I can call Willow and tell her."   
  
"NO! I mean I'd like to keep this a secret from others for a while. If you   
don't mind."   
  
"No, no, I don't. I'll just make something up."   
  
"Thanks" Buffy said smiling   
  
Dawn smiled back and said "I gotta go. See you later?"   
  
"Yeah, hey, why don't I get a couple of videos to watch and have a girls   
night in?"   
  
Dawn didn't really want to, but Buffy's face looked so hopeful that she said   
"Sure. I'll be home about 7."   
  
"Great! I'll be ready and...thanks" she said, hugging her little sister.   
  
Dawn felt her resolve melting and hugged her sister back. "See you later."   
  
Buffy waved and soon Dawn was in the car and driving to the alley. Her mind   
was full of conflicting thoughts and emotions. As she pulled into the parking   
space, she hoped that she could trust Buffy and that all this wouldn't all   
blow up in her face.


	4. Find Your Way Home

Title: Find Your Way Home   
Author: Ally   
Disclaimer: With the exception of a few characters, no Buffy or Angel   
characters belong to me. They belong to Joss Whedon, Fox and UPN.   
Rating: G to R   
Keywords: Alternate Universe/Futurefic   
Pairings:   
Main: D/X, B/S   
Others: A/Fr, W/O, F/T, C/D,G/A,J/G, W/V   
Distribution: You want this? Take it; just tell me where it's going.   
Author's Notes: Did you ever have a story you can't get out of your head? Well, this is mine. Hope you like it.   
Feedback: Always appreciated.   
  
  
  
  
Xander Harris wasn't a proud man. He never really had a lot of things in his life to be proud of. Then he met Buffy and his whole world was turned upside down. He was thrust into a world that he thought was only fantasy, like the comic books he liked to read. Still, his life began to turn around and he began fighting the good fight. He really felt he was making a difference,   
doing something with his life.   
  
Then as quickly as it happened, it ended. Buffy killed Angel, her one true love and left Sunnydale for good. Giles spent months afterward trying to find her, following every lead possible, but to no avail. After six months, Faith came and things resumed to some kind of normality.   
  
Yet, things weren't the same, at least not to Xander. As a result of Buffy leaving, Giles got fired from the Council, which sent another watcher, Wesley. He was a little uptight, but let them help. So they researched and sometimes helped slay, but that was really the extent of it. If they weren't researching, Willow spent most of her time studying witchcraft with Amy. Giles,meanwhile, spent most of his time alone, researching every possible demon and prophecy.   
  
At the time, he was still going out with Cordy, so they spent most of their time together. They would study or go to the Bronze and talk. They learned a lot about each other in that time, but they also realized they weren't right for each other. So they broke up,but still remained close.   
  
The most surprising element of Buffy leaving was Xander's relationship with Angel. Before all the stuff went down, he hated Angel's guts, but in the beginning, when he came back, Xander was the one to look after him. And so a friendship was formed. They would talk about everything and sometimes, he, Angel, Cordelia and later Anya would go to the Bronze. It was a strange   
relationship and one that still baffled him today.   
  
After graduation, when they blew up the school, things changed again. Faith had gone back to England, to face her punishment for the things that had happened, when she went bad. Wesley had left also, as he had resigned from the Council. Angel, had decided to move to LA, since Sunnydale was too painful for him to be in. Cordelia decided to go with him, since her parents were bankrupt.   
  
Sunnydale felt pretty empty without them, but his relationship with Willow and Giles had picked up, which made him estatic. He had missed them a lot. He had also started dating Anya, which was a very eye opening experience. Still, he loved her a lot and they were even engaged for awhile, but again, they realized they weren't right for each other and went their separate ways,but   
remained close.   
  
At that point, Xander began to think that there was no one for him. Willow and Oz had gotten married, as did Giles and Joyce. Anya even began to date Gunn, a new recruit from Angel's team. Angel even had someone - Fred - a girl they rescued from another dimension. It was beginning to seem hopeless, when Willow had been pestering him about Dawn. He had never really looked at her   
in a romantic light, but they were spending a lot of time together.   
  
So, he took the bull by the horns and asked her out. Actually, he asked her to dance and then asked her out. The minute he took her into his arms, he knew. This was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. That's why only eight months after they began to date, he asked her to marry him and she accepted.   
  
After that, everything seemed to make sense. Everything that he had gone though, all the ups and downs had been worth it. He had a ton of best friends and the most beautiful fiance a man could ask for. It all seemed worth it.   
  
That's why today, he was looking for his special girl. He entered the alley where she worked and he felt a smile materialize on his face. He spent an awful lot of time here, whether it was hanging out with Dawn, bowling or researching the latest evil. He really loved this place.   
  
As he walked through the alley, Xander saw Faith trying to fix one of the ball returns and waved. She smiled and waved back, then returned to work. He knew she wanted to do good job because she had a lot to make up for. He then saw Dawn at the counter, talking on the phone. She was smiling and Xander felt his heart beat faster. She always had that effect on him.   
  
As he walked closer, he heard her talking. "How's he doing?" she asked. She was silent for a moment and then " That's good. So...." she stopped and turned around, smiling as she saw him. "Can I call you back?.. Ok, bye."   
  
"Hey, Dawn" Xander said, wondering if something was wrong.   
  
"Hey, Xander. What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice a little high.   
  
"Lunch break. I knew you were freaked out by your dream, so I decided to see how you were doing."   
  
Dawn felt tears spring to her eyes and wrapped her arms around Xander's neck, giving him a heart stopping kiss. They were both lost in the moment, enjoying the feelings the kiss aroused. When they broke apart, they were both breathless and Xander was a little dazed. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" Xander asked.   
  
"Because you are the sweetest, most wonderful guy in the whole world and I love you more than anything."   
  
"I can deal with that" Xander said, smiling.   
  
She laughed and said "Well, in case you were wondering, I'm fine. It's just the dream felt so real, you know?"   
  
"Oh, yeah" he said, remembering Buffy's prophetic dreams. "But I'm glad you're better. I'd hate to see anything happen to you." He thought she still seemed a little upset, though. "Is there anything else?"   
  
"No. Everything is great." she said, trying to make her enthusiam genuine. Then she smiled and leaned in for another kiss, which lead to several more passionate ones. Finally they heard coughing from behind them.   
  
They broke apart and saw Faith with a smirk on her face. "Sorry to interrupt, but Mrs.Thomas is here to discuss the birthday party."   
  
Dawn blushed and said "I'll be right there."   
  
She just nodded and walked away. "I guess I better go" Xander said.   
  
"Yeah, you'd better" Dawn said, as neither one moved.   
  
He kissed her one more time. "Lunch is over. Now I have to go."   
  
She sighed. " Yeah, me too."   
  
So after several goodbyes, they parted. Xander was happier than ever, while Dawn felt awful for lying to Xander and hoped that he would understand, because she loved him to much to let him go.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Dawn entered the house a few hours later. She was tired and hungry. All she wanted was to get something to eat and to go bed. She was glad it was a Friday and since she didn't have to work and didn't have any homework, she planned on sleeping late the next day.   
  
Before that, she had to get through a night of videos with Buffy. She hated feeling this way about her own sister, but something seemed off. Still, she would try to make a concerted effort. If Buffy could then she could too. She sighed and put her books on the table. Then she plopped down in a seat and put her forehead on the table. It was too much to think about and was giving   
her a headache.   
  
"Mommy!"   
  
Dawn lifted her head up and smiled. "Hey Justin. Were you good for Aunt Buffy?"   
  
Buffy smiled. "He was a perfect angel."   
  
"And she makes the bestest grilled cheese."   
  
Dawn just laughed, some of the tension leaving her body. "That's good to know."   
  
They talked a few more minutes about the day and soon Justin was yawning. "Why don't you put Justin to bed and I'll get ready down here?" Buffy asked.   
  
"Good idea. C'mon buddy, time for bed."   
  
"K" he said, sleepily, running up the stairs.   
  
"Be right back" Dawn said, following her son.   
  
Buffy just smiled and waved.   
  
Dawn climbed the steps and into Justin's room. He insisted he could brush his teeth and go to the bathroom by himself, so Dawn let him.   
  
As she entered his room, a feeling of nostaligia washing over her. She remembered when she first learned she was pregnant, she felt like her life was over. Then nine months later, when she came home from the hospital, her mother ushered her up the stairs and into Buffy's room.   
  
What she saw shocked her. Buffy's friends had totally redid her room. The walls were painted bright blue, while the ceiling was a darker blue with glow in the dark stars. There was a crib againist the far wall and a changing table against the windows. There was even a rocking chair with a number of children's books next to it. Dawn was shocked and surprised. That was the   
moment, she realized that the "Scooby Gang" were her friends too. She didn't know what she would've done without them over the years. And even though the room had changed, the crib being replaced with a "big boy bed" she still felt like it was just yesterday that she brought Justin home.   
  
"Ready mom" Justin said, breaking Dawn out of her thoughts.   
  
"Ok, let's go" she said, lifting him up and into the bed. He laughed and settled into bed. "So, did you have fun today?"   
  
He nodded. "Yeah. Aunt Buffy's cool. We played games and watched videos. She also told me stories about when you were younger."   
  
"Yeah, we had fun back then" she said, wistfully. Justin yawned, so she said   
  
"Ok, it's time for bed."   
  
He closed his eyes. "I hope Aunt Buffy stays. I like her a lot" he said, sleepily.   
  
"She likes you too. Now sleep" she said, turning off the light, as the room glowed with the stars.   
  
"I love you mom."   
  
"I love you too." she said, smiling. He was soon asleep, his breathing deep and easy. Sometimes she couldn't believe that he was real, but he was and for that Dawn was glad.   
  
She smiled and left the room. Then, after a quick change of clothes, she was ready for a night of videos and, she realized that she was finally ready to accept Buffy, because if Justin could, then so could she. She just hoped everything worked out for the best.


	5. Find Your Way Home

Title: Find Your Way Home   
Author: Ally   
Disclaimer: With the exception of my own creations, no Buffy or Angel characters belong to me. They belong to Joss Whedon, Fox and UPN.   
Rating: G to R   
Keywords: Alternate Universe/Futurefic   
Pairings:   
Main: D/X, B/S   
Others: A/Fr, W/O, F/T, C/D,G/A, J/G, W/V   
Distribution: You want this? Take it; just tell me where it's going.   
Author's Notes: Did you ever have a story you can't get out of your head? Well, this is mine. Hope you like it.   
Dedications: To those kind souls who gave me feedback. I appreciate it so much.   
Feedback: Always appreciated.   
  
  
  
After a quick change of clothes, Dawn bounded down the stairs, feeling a little better about the whole situation. Buffy was her sister and no matter what had happened in the past, she would stand by her and support her. That's what family was for.   
  
As she entered the room, she saw Buffy sitting on the couch, curled up into a ball. She was staring off into space, looking at something that wasn't there. The good mood from before was gone, replaced by this small and lonely girl. This worried Dawn a little, so she decided to treat her with care.   
  
"Hey, Buff" she said, sitting down next to her.   
  
"Hey" she said, tearing her gaze away from the window. "Is Justin asleep?"   
  
"Oh yeah. His head hit the pillow and he was asleep" Dawn said, smiling.   
  
Buffy smiled back. "Yeah, he sure is a bundle of energy."   
  
"Oh, I know. Some days, it's all I can do to keep up. Xander seems to be the only one who can keep up, but that's because he's a big kid at heart."   
  
Buffy smiled at the thought of her best friend. " How is Xander?"   
  
"He's good. He's got a great job in construction and..." she hesitated, wondering if she should tell Buffy about the engagement.   
  
"And?" Buffy prodded, wanting to know.   
  
Dawn opted for the truth. "And he's engaged."   
  
"Really? To who?"   
  
Dawn wordlessly held up her hand, showing the simple diamond ring on her finger. Buffy's mouth opened in shock and Dawn felt her stomach clench. She didn't know why, but she felt like she needed Buffy's approval. She was so into her thoughts that she almost didn't feel Buffy's arms wrap around her.   
  
"So you're okay with this?" she asked.   
  
"Of course. Why wouldn't I? You're my sister, Dawnie and I only want you to be happy. Does Xander make you happy?"   
  
"Very" she said, with a smile.   
  
"Well, then, that's all there is to it. How did you guys get together anyway?"   
  
"It happened pretty naturally. We were spending a lot of time together and then he asked me to dance at my party. And when he took me in his arms, I just knew. This was the man I was destined to spend the rest of my life with" she said, a little dreamily.   
  
Buffy smiled, happy to see her sister so happy. "How long have you guys been together? How did he propose?"   
  
"Well, we were together about eight months when he proposed. It was New Year's and we went to a party at An...a hotel" she stopped, catching herself before she said Angel. She didn't want to bring that subject up until it was absolutely necessary. "We were having a really good time, but Xander seemed to be nervous. Anyway, about a minute to midnight, he took me out onto the balcony and the city was so beautiful. Then he told me that he loved me and couldn't live without me. Then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. After about 10 seconds, I said yes."   
  
"How romantic" Buffy said.   
  
"Yeah, I know."   
  
After a second of silence, they both burst out laughing, neither one knowing why. All they knew was that it felt good. Buffy was laughing so hard that tears were coming out of her eyes.   
  
"I missed this" she said, wiping her eyes.   
  
"Yeah, me too" Dawn said, sincerely.   
  
Buffy sighed and said "You know, there were times I felt like coming home."   
  
"So how come you didn't?"   
  
"I don't know. I mean after the fight with Mom and then sending Angel to hell, I just... I just had to leave. After a while, I got used to 'life on the road.' And I thought that you guys would be better off without me" she said, her eyes tearing a bit.   
  
"Oh, Buffy" Dawn said, hugging her sister tightly. "Everyone misses you. They never stopped. It's just after a while, they knew you weren't coming back. That you would be found when you wanted to be found. So life went on, but nobody stopped caring about you."   
  
Buffy sniffed and tried to regain her composure. Dawn just kept rubbing her shoulder, ready for whatever came next. There was silence for several minutes and she could hear the clock tick.   
  
Suddenly, Buffy said "I miss him."   
  
"Angel?"   
  
"Yeah, I mean I know that I only knew him a short time, but I felt a real connection, you know? Then when I had to send him to hell, I felt my heart break. I used to have dreams about him, where he was alive and everything was okay, but then I'd wake up and the hell would begin all over again."   
  
"I'm sorry, Buffy."   
  
"Don't be. I mean it's stupid to moon over a guy that's been gone for 10 years. I've tried to get on with my life, so many times, but never could. I think I just had to come home and face my past."   
  
Dawn nodded and smiled, knowing that now was the time to tell her about Angel ... and Spike ... maybe. "Buffy, you know I love you, right?"   
  
"Yeah, I love you too."   
  
"Well, you may not after this. Um, see the thing is... a few months after you left, Angel came back."   
  
"He.. He came back?"   
  
"Yeah, um, nobody knows why, but they found him a few months after you left, roaming the woods. He was like a wild animal. Willow had to restrain him with magic for a few weeks after."   
  
"Where is he now?" she whispered.   
  
"In LA, um, he used to have an investigation agency."   
  
"Used to?"   
  
"Yeah, about 2 ago, they closed the Hellmouth for good. As a reward for his service, the Powers granted him his humanity. He's human, Buffy."   
  
"Human?" she asked, tears streaming down her face.   
  
Dawn nodded. "Yeah and there's one more thing."   
  
"What?" she asked, wondering how this day could get any worse.   
  
"Spike is here too. "   
  
"Spike?!"   
  
"Yeah, he came back to Sunnydale about a year after you left. Drusilla left him for a chaos demon and he wanted her back. He kidnapped me, hoping to get Willow to do a spell. That never happened though. Angel saved me and told Spike to leave, but he never did. He ended up working with the Scooby Gang and we really bonded. We're really good friends now. He really took care of me when I was younger."   
  
"And he just did it out of the goodness of his undead heart?" she asked, sarcastically.   
  
"No, one's really sure why he did it and it took awhile for them to trust him, but I always knew he had some good in him."   
  
Buffy got up and began pacing the room. "So what you're telling me is that Spike is human and a good guy?"   
  
"Yeah. If you knew him for as long as I have then you'd see."   
  
"How did it happen?"   
  
Dawn hesitated, not knowing if she should add futher to her misery, but Buffy said "Please, tell me. I really want to know."   
  
"OK, well, it started about 2 years ago...   
  
*Flashback*   
  
They had been gone for 2 days and Dawn was getting nervous. The Scooby Gang was her family and she wanted them to come home safe and alive. Joyce, meanwhile, was pacing the floor, while Justin was playing on a blanket, oblivious to what was going on. Everything was so quiet and this unnerved Dawn to no end.   
  
She had been watching her mother pace for hours and she was starting to get dizzy. " Mom, could you please stop, for like, 2 seconds. You're making me dizzy."   
  
"Sorry honey. It's just I'm worried about Giles and the others. It's been 2 days" she said, her head in her hands.   
  
"I know Mom, but just think, after this, no more Hellmouth. We can have normal lives and Justin will never have to go through what I did" Dawn said, her voice choked.   
  
"Oh, honey." Her mother embraced Dawn and shared in her pain.   
  
"You know, at times like this I wish Buffy were here."   
  
"Me too, honey, but she made her choice and we have to accept it. She'll come back when and if she's ready."   
  
Dawn just nodded and laid her head down on her mother's shoulder. Justin had teetered over and she lifted him onto her lap, where he promptly fell asleep. She smiled and closed her eyes.   
  
She must've fallen asleep though, because she was awoken by something outside. Her mother was still asleep and Justin was looking at her questioningly. "So you hear that too, huh?"   
  
She got up, with Justin on her hip and opened the door. She saw the sun rising on the horizon. It was a beautiful sight. Then, out of nowhere, she saw people walking down the street. As they got a little closer, she saw it was the gang. She smiled and raced inside. "Mom, Mom!! Wake up! They're here, they're alive!"   
  
Joyce bolted awake and raced outside with Dawn. They smiled and clapped as the gang made their way up the street. And the best thing was, they were all there. Some of them were limping and all of them had bruises and bumps, but they all seemed okay.   
  
"Is it done?" Dawn asked, as they climbed the stairs.   
  
"Yeah, and it was a hell of a battle" Xander said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.   
  
"C'mon, let's get you inside" Joyce said, hanging on to Giles for dear life.   
  
Dawn smiled as the gang all began talking at once. They each had stories to tell and they all seemed exciting. Then just as they got inside, both Angel and Spike collapsed.   
  
Doyle and Fred raced over to them and Dawn would've too, but she was supporting Xander, who broke his leg. "Are they OK?" she asked.   
  
"I'm not sure. Let's get them on the couch" Doyle said, as Faith and Gunn helped to lift them on the couch.   
  
"Well, there's not much else we can do now and some of you need to get to the hospital" Joyce said.   
  
"She's right. Dawn, can you stay here and take care of the ones who don't need to go to the hospital?" Giles asked. She nodded her ascent. "Wonderful, anyone who thinks they need medical attention can come with Joyce and me."   
  
"Can you make it to the car OK?" Dawn asked Xander.   
  
He grimaced and said "Yeah, thanks."   
  
"I'm glad you're all right."   
  
"Me too" he said, following the others out.   
  
With the exception of Willow, Oz, Doyle, Fred and Tara, everyone had to go to the hospital. It took Dawn a little over an hour to get everyone settled and taken care. She had just finished with Tara and was stretching when she heard a scream from the living room.   
  
They all raced inside to see Angel and Spike on the couch, sunlight coming though the window and not harming them in any way.   
  
"They're alive" Doyle said, going over to them.   
  
*End Flashback*   
  
"After that, it was pure pandemonium. It took us a really long time to get used to them standing in the sun. When Doyle asked what happened, Angel said he was taken to the Powers That Be themselves. They thanked him for his service and granted him his humanity. Spike just said that he was taken to the Oracles and given a choice -- stay vampire or become human."   
  
"And he just decided to become human?"   
  
"Yup. He told me later on that he always knew he had some humanity in him and ever since he met me, that it was coming to the surface more and more. He just wanted to explore it some more without the demon."   
  
"So that's it, huh?"   
  
"Pretty much. After Angel became human, he looked for you everywhere, but he couldn't find you. He just started dating Fred, this girl they saved from another dimension a few years back. She has a very...unique personality. They're good together, though."   
  
"So, everyone's moved on with their lives. Everyone except me."   
  
"What do you mean?" Dawn asked confused.   
  
"Well, even though I've been gone so long, I'm still stuck in the past. I'm still that seventeen year old girl that left Sunnydale all those years ago."   
  
Dawn felt bad for her sister. She thought Buffy had been so happy and fulfilled, but she was just as miserable as when she left. "I'm sure that once you talk to the gang, everything will work out OK."   
  
"Maybe."   
  
"I can talk to the gang tomorrow."   
  
"NO!!! I mean, no, I'm just not ready yet. Give me a few more weeks and I'll talk to them. I promise" she said, off Dawn's look.   
  
"All right, but it's really hard for me to keep secrets, especially from Xander."   
  
"I know, but it's just really important to me. Promise?"   
  
"Yes, I promise."   
  
"Oh, thank you" she said, hugging Dawn tightly.   
  
Just as they parted, the door opened and Joyce stepped in. "Hi girls" she said, smiling at them.   
  
"Hi Mom" they said, in unison.   
  
"Why are you so late?" Dawn asked.   
  
"Oh, I was taking inventory at the gallery and then a shipment came in so I had to check it out, but everything was wrong so I've been on the phone all night. Now all I want to do is get to bed and sleep for a thousand years."   
  
"Yeah, I better get to bed too. When Justin gets his required eight hours, he's a handful" Dawn said, stretching.   
  
"Night girls" Joyce said, hugging each, extra tight.   
  
"Night Mom" they said.   
  
A few minutes later, the house was quiet. Buffy was left alone with her thoughts, which was never a good thing. Her back ached and she felt cold all the time. When she left Texas, it was to get away from her thoughts, but they just seemed to chase her. And then, just like the night before and the night before that, she cried herself to sleep.


	6. Find Your Way Home

Title: Find Your Way Home (5/?)  
Author: Ally  
Email: slaygal242@a...  
Disclaimer: With the exception of my own creations, no Buffy or Angel characters belong to me. They belong to Joss Whedon, Fox and UPN.  
Rating: G to R   
Category: Story/Romance/Angst  
Keywords: Alternate Universe/Futurefic  
Pairings:  
Main: D/X, B/S  
Others: A/Fr, W/O, Fa/T, C/D,Gn/A,J/Gi, We/V  
Distribution: You want this? Take it; just tell me where it's going.  
Summary: 10 years after the events of Becoming, Buffy comes back to a very different Sunnydale.  
Author's Notes: Did you ever have a story you can't get out of your head? Well, this is mine. Hope you like it.  
Author's Notes 2: I apologize ahead of time if this sucks.   
Dedications: To those kind souls who gave me feedback. I appreciate it so much.   
Feedback: Always appreciated.   
  
  
  
Two weeks had passed without incident. Buffy was getting used to being home again, as were Joyce and Dawn. It had just been the two of them for so long that having another human being in the house was a little disconcerting. Still, they were happy to have her back, even though she wasn't really saying much about the time she was gone.  
  
This night was no different than the last. Dawn had just put Justin to bed and Buffy was watching TV in the family room. Dawn and Joyce were on the porch, enjoying the unusually warm night. It seemed so normal and familiar, but Dawn still felt ill at ease. She wished that Spike was there, since he was the only one who knew about Buffy being home, but he was visiting Angel for the weekend.  
  
"Buffy's birthday is tomorrow."  
  
"Hmmm" Dawn said, shaking her head of all thought.  
  
"Buffy's birthday is tomorrow. We should do something" Joyce said.  
  
"What? No one else knows she's here and she doesn't really look like she wants a party."  
  
"She's my daughter. A daughter I haven't seen in ten years. We have to do something."  
  
Dawn sighed, knowing she could never deny her mother anything. "All right, but something small should do. Just the four of us. I don't think Buffy could handle a surprise and neither could the others."  
  
"Great, I'll pick up the cake tomorrow and you can get some nice gifts for her."  
  
"Ok, Justin will probably like going along with me."  
  
Joyce smiled. "What if we invite Spike too?"  
  
"Spike? I don't think so."  
  
"Why not? He knows Buffy's here and she could use a friend."  
  
"I guess, but Buffy doesn't know that Spike knows that she's here and she hates him" Dawn pointed out.  
  
"How can she hate a guy she doesn't even really know?"   
  
"Because he used to be a vampire who tried to kill her on several different occasions and whose sire almost caused the end of the world, that's why" Dawn said, knowingly.  
  
"Well, feelings can change."  
  
Dawn laughed at that. "Mom, why the sudden intrest in Spike?"  
  
"Because I'm leaving for England on Monday."  
  
"And you want someone to take care of her" Dawn added sympathically.  
  
"I just want both my daughters to be taken care of. You have Xander and the others, but Buffy doesn't have anyone. She seems so scared and alone and she won't tell me why. It's just so frustrating" Joyce said, wiping her eyes.  
  
Dawn got up and sat on the edge of the chair. "Mom, do you feel guilty about going?"  
  
"A little, but I've thought a lot about this and I think it would be best if I go. I miss Giles and if I told him something happened, then he would come home and things would get complicated."  
  
"Mom, don't feel bad. Buffy has me and Justin. She'll be fine, I promise."  
  
Joyce got up and hugged Dawn tightly. "When did you get smarter than me?" she asked.  
  
"Practice" she said with a smile.  
  
Joyce smiled and smiled "Well, it's late. I think I'm gonna hit the sack. Night, honey" Joyce said, kissing her on the cheek.  
  
"Night, mom" Dawn said to her retreating back.  
  
Now it was quiet and Dawn sighed. She closed her eyes and just listened to the the nighttime sounds. She wished Xander was there to enjoy this night, but he was also at Angel's. He wanted her to come with him since the gang was there, but she declined saying she had too much homework. She hated seeing Xander's face fall and hated upsetting him so much, but it was what she had to do.   
  
"How did things get so complicated?" she murmured.  
  
"What?"  
  
She opened her eyes and saw Buffy standing there. "Nothing. What's up?"  
  
"It's almost midnight. Thought you'd like to know."  
  
Dawn smiled her thanks. She got up and stretched, feeling her muscles pull and stretch. After she checked the downstairs, she said good night to Buffy.   
  
"Night Dawnie."  
  
As she was going up the stairs, the clock chimed midnight. Smiling to herself, she bounded down the stairs and burst into a chrous of "Happy Birthday."  
  
Happy Birthday to you  
Happy Birthday to you  
Happy Birthday, dear Buffy  
Happy Birthday to you  
  
Buffy laughed and clapped as Dawn finished. "That was great, Dawnie! Thanks" she said, sincerely.  
  
"Well, I've been waiting a long time to do that" she said, quietly.  
  
Buffy nodded, her mood changing instantly. Her posture was slouched and her head was bent. She drew her knees up to her chest. It seemed like she was drawing in on herself.  
  
Dawn hated seeing her sister look so down, but there was nothing she could do about it. "Well, anyway, Happy Birthday" she said, kissing her forehead.  
  
Buffy said, nothing, just looked out the window. Dawn looked one more time and continued up the stairs. Maybe things weren't looking so bright after all.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The following morning, Dawn awoke bright and early. The sun was shining in the clear blue sky. The air was crisp and cool, usual for Sunnydale in January. Kids were playing in thier yards and cars were slowly driving by enjoying the day.   
  
None of this mattered to Dawn though. She was still reliving the remnants of her dream. It was the same dream she was having every night since Buffy came. Her heart was pounding and her pulse was racing. She could even feel the sweat pooling in the small of her back.  
  
After a few minutes, Dawn was calm enough to get out of bed. She was still shaking a bit, but was otherwise okay. She checked to see if Justin was still sleeping, but his room was empty. She felt her pulse race again, but she suddenly heard laughter downstairs and relaxed again.  
  
*I have to calm down* she thought, breathing deeply. She wished she could call Xander or at least Spike, but they wouldn't be home for another day.  
  
She sighed and decided to take a shower. *It better make me feel better* she thought angrily.  
  
An hour later, she was dressed and feeling a little better, but was still tired. She looked in the mirror and bags were forming under her eyes. "Well, it's good enough for today" she murmured, glumly.  
  
As she climbed down the stairs, she saw a sight that warmed her heart. Buffy was sitting on the couch, with Justin curled up in her lap. She smiled and then looked at Buffy's face. It seemed so calm and at peace, no traces of worry or sadness to be found. She hated to break that up, but she had a long day ahead and needed to get a move on. After a beat, she went down the rest of the way and plastered on a smile.  
  
"Hey, guys" she said.  
  
"Mommy!" Justing said, running to her.  
  
"Did he wake you?" she asked Buffy as Justin climbed into her lap.  
  
"No, I've been awake for awhile" she said, with a sad smile.  
  
"Well, if it happens again, you come into my room, okay?"   
  
"K" he said, snuggling against her.  
  
A few minutes later, she felt Justin's breathing even and knew he was asleep. Buffy gave a small smile, but Dawn just rolled her eyes. "He always does this, but I can't really hold it against him."  
  
"Well, he's a cute kid. You should be very proud."  
  
"Oh, I am, but if it wasn't for the gang I don't think I would've made it this far" Dawn said, with a small.  
  
"They are the best" Buffy said, wistfully.  
  
"I'm sure they'd love to see you."  
  
Her face automatically became fearful. "I can't. Not yet. It's too soon."  
  
"But, Buffy.."  
  
"Please, just a little longer."  
  
Dawn sighed. "Fine, a little longer."  
  
She saw Buffy's face relax and her mood change instantly. Dawn wondered why Buffy was so on edge, but didn't want to push her too far. She seemed so fragile, like she would break at any second.  
  
At that moment, Justin woke up and stretched. "Have a nice nap."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Good, now go get changed. We have someplace to go."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"It's a surprise."  
  
"Cool" he said, running upstairs.  
  
"Dawnie, I think I have an idea about where you're going and I don't want you to go to any trouble for me" Buffy said.   
  
"How do you know it's for you?"  
  
"Just a hunch."  
  
Dawn smiled and said "Well, don't sell yourself short. You deserve it."  
  
Buffy didn't say anything, as Justin came down the stairs. "Ready!"  
  
"Okay, we'll be going then. You gonna be okay by yourself?"  
  
"I'll be fine. Now remember, no going overboard, got it?"  
  
"Yes, mom" Dawn said, with a smile.  
  
Buffy just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bye."  
  
Dawn waved and soon the house was quiet. She hated when the house was quiet. It gave her time to think and that's when the memories hit her. They assaulted her brain and she closed her eyes. She felt the tears seeping out and let them fall to the ground. She hated feeling this way, so helpless and alone, but it was better to keep her mom and Dawn in the dark, to keep them safe.   
  
At that moment, she felt her back spasm and fell to the floor in pain. *They can never know* she thought, before passing out from the pain. 


	7. Find Your Way Home

This was supposed to be up a week ago, but I got sick. Sorry it's late, but I still hope you like it.  
~Ally  
  
  
  
Title: Find Your Way Home (6/?)  
Author: Ally  
Email: thequietone225@aol.com (slaygal doesn't work)  
Disclaimer: With the exception of my own creations, no Buffy or Angel   
characters belong to me. They belong to Joss Whedon, Fox and UPN.  
Rating: G to R   
Category: Story/Romance/Angst  
Keywords: Alternate Universe/Futurefic  
Pairings:  
Main: D/X, B/S  
Others: A/Fr, W/O, Fa/T, C/D,G/A,J/G, W/V  
Distribution: You want this? Take it; just tell me where it's going.  
Summary: 10 years after the events of Becoming, Buffy comes back to a very different Sunnydale.  
Author's Notes: Did you ever have a story you can't get out of your head? Well, this is mine. Hope you like it.  
Author's Notes 2: Again, I apologize if this sucks. My works been crazy lately and it hasn't left me much time to write. It's not much of a plot, but it furthurs the story along. Expect the next part after the New Year.   
Dedications: To those kind souls who gave me feedback. I appreciate it so much.   
Feedback: Always appreciated.   
  
  
  
  
Later that night, Joyce was preparing Buffy's birthday dinner. A small pile of presents were by the fireplace. Buffy kept insisting that she didn't deserve it, didn't want it, but Joyce was adamant. She had been gone for almost ten years and that was a lot of birthdays to make up for.  
  
So, they dutifully dressed up, on Joyce's insistance. Buffy and Justin were downstairs, watching tv. Dawn was still upstairs, getting ready. She was having a hard time mustering up any enthusiasm for tdhe night, but was trying her best.   
  
She had just put the finishing touches on her outfit and plastering on her now familiar fake smile, bounded down the stairs. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. For a moment, her heart was in her throat. *Oh, god, Xander's back early* she thought.   
  
Before she opened the door, she looked out the window. She breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door. "Spike. What are you doing here?"  
  
"Mum invited me. How could I say no."  
  
"Oh. Does Xander.."  
  
"No. She phoned my cell. Just said I had to leave. Not that anyone cared."  
  
She decided to ignore that remark and sighed. "Well, come on in."  
  
He walked inside as Joyce was coming out of the kitchen.   
  
"Spike, so glad you could make it" she said, smiling.  
  
"How could I resist" he said, giving her a smile.  
  
"Well, dinner's ready, so why don't we eat?"  
  
"Great!"   
  
So they filed into the dining room, Buffy glaring at Spike out of the corner of her eye.  
  
This continued throughout the duration of dinner, while they tried to make awkard conversation. Dawn wished that the whole day could be over, but it seemed to be moving excrusiating slow.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
About an hour later, Joyce was clearing the table. As she entered the kitchen, Buffy turned angrily towards Dawn.   
  
"What is he doing here?!"  
  
"You know, you could speak directly to me, pet" he said, with a smirk.  
  
She just glared at him. " You have no right to talk to me, let alone be in the same room with me" she hissed.  
  
"Listen, I didn't want this anymore than you do, but I'm here, so just deal with it."  
  
"Guys, please. None of us wants this, but it's only for another hour, so can you guys be civil til then" Dawn pleaded.  
  
They remained silent, so she added " You are two of Justin's favorite people. Do you really want to disappoint him?"  
  
They both looked at his face, looking ready to cry.  
  
"Fine, fine" they said.  
  
Justin smiled. "Thank you vedy much."  
  
Dawn smiled and ruffled his hair as Joyce came in then, carrying a large birthday cake. After a chrous of "Happy Birthday," she doled out the cake.  
  
They ate pretty much is silence, the only sound was the clinking of forks to plate. Buffy felt like crawling out of her skin. She hated being here and she hated the whole situtation.  
  
"Justin, you're getting cake all over yourself" Dawn said, wiping his face.  
  
"Mooom" she whined.  
  
"Don't mom me."  
  
Buffy smiled at the display, wishing she had what Dawn did. For some reason, she glanced over at Spike. He was looking at Dawn the way Angel used to look at her. She felt a bubble of jealousy starting to rise in her stomach, but she tapped it back down.  
  
"Buffy. Buffy?"  
  
"Hmm" she said, turning to her mother.  
  
"Do you want to open your presents now?"  
  
Sure" she said, smiling.  
  
As she opened each present, she felt warm all over. She couldn't believe the presents they had bought her. The thought that went into each one. True, it was mostly clothes, but she hadn't had any new clothes in years. Dawn bought her a journal and some pens. Justin even "bought"her some toy cars.  
  
Holding back the tears, she said "This is all too much. Thanks."  
  
"Happy Birthday, Buffy" was all Dawn said.  
  
They shared a secret smile.  
  
"Well, I think I'll start to clean up" Joyce said, kissing the top of Buffy's head as she went by.  
  
"I'll help" Spike said, jumping up.  
  
"Thank you, Spike."  
  
They went into the kitchen, leaving the girls alone. Justin was playing with the cars, oblivious to everything around him.   
  
"Who is that and what did they do with Spike?" Buffy finally said.  
  
Dawn laughed. "You're not giving him a lot of credit. He's changed a lot since you left.I think you'd be suriprised."  
  
"Yeah, well , I'll believe it when I see it" she said, scoffingly.  
  
Dawn just shrugged. "That's your perogative."  
  
"I have to get some air" she said, quickly.  
  
"Is something wrong?"  
  
"No, I just have to go" she said, the door slamming behind her.  
  
"What was that?" Joyce asked, coming out of the kitchen.  
  
"Buffy. She just needed to get some air" Dawn said, gathering Justin in her arms.  
  
"Is she okay?"  
  
"Yeah, she's fine" Dawn lied.  
  
Joyce seemed a little hesitant, but let it go. She went back into the kitchen and Dawn sighed with relief.  
  
"What's wrong with Aunt Buffy?" Justin asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, honey."  
  
"Will she be okay?"  
  
"She'll be fine" Dawn soothed.  
  
Spike came out then, wiping his hands on his pants.  
  
"Where'd the Slay- er, Buffy go?"  
  
"Out. I don't know where" she sighed.  
  
"Want me to go look for her?"  
  
Dawn smiled. "No, she probably needs to be alone for awhile. Thanks though."  
  
"No problem, pet."  
  
Justin started yawning, so Dawn said "Okay, buddy. It's time for bed."  
  
"I think that's my cue to leave" Spike said, grabbing his jacket.  
  
"Ok, bye Spike" she said, hugging him.  
  
"Night, bit" he said, closing the door behind him.  
  
The night air was cool and caressed his flushed face. He had been human for almost two years and was beginning to hate it. He hated having a conscience. He knew if he wanted to, he could become what he once was, but he didn't.. for her.   
  
He sighed and started to down the sidewalk. He hadn't gone more than two feet when he heard a soft sobbing from the side of the house. He started walking around the house, when he found Buffy. She was slumped over, almost spasming in pain.  
  
He raced over to her side, adreline rushing through his veins. "Buffy, are okay?"  
  
"Spike?! " she said, jerking her head up in surprise. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Heard something suspicious. Wanted to see what it was. Are you okay?" he repeated.  
  
"I'm fine. Just stressed you know."  
  
He nodded and helped her up. She winced as he touched her back. "Something wrong with your back?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
"No. Nothing" she said, jerking away from his touch.  
  
She started walking away, but he grabbed her wrist and twisted her around. "Why are you here?" he asked, almost growling.  
  
"Why do you think?" she shot back, pushing away from him.  
  
"Ok, then if that's question's too hard, how about this. How long has it been since your last fix?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" she asked, not looking directly at him.  
  
"C'mon, pet. I'm not an idiot. The shaking, the pain, the sweating."  
  
She finally looked at him, her eyes huge. "Fine, I used to be on heroin, but I haven't had a fix in over a month" she said, still shaking.   
  
"A month! God, you must have some willpower. Does Dawn know?"  
  
"No and she's not gonna find out either" she said, her voice hard.  
  
"Oh, really," he said, smirking.  
  
She sighed. "Yes. If you really love Dawn, then you won't tell her."  
  
He seemed taken aback, but said " How did.."  
  
"Oh, come on. The way you look at her is a dead giveaway. It was the same way Angel looked at me" she said, sadly.  
  
"Fine. I won't tell her, but she's gonna find out sooner or later."  
  
"I know. I-I just can't do that to her yet."  
  
"You better get inside. Dawn seems worried about you."  
  
She nodded and began walking back towards the house. Spike began to walk home,when he heard "Spike?"  
  
"Yeah" he said, turning around.  
  
"Thanks" she said, smiling.   
  
He just nodded and resumed walking.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Soon, the yard was quiet.   
  
Buffy was safe in the house with her family.   
  
That's when HE came out of the shadows. He had followed for months. Every move she made, he was one step behind. She even lost her trail for awhile, but she was tiring. HE knew it. That's why he had come here, waiting for her. And just like clockwork she showed. She was still the way he remembered her. Still beautiful.   
  
Still, he knew that now was not the time to reveal himself. Not yet. The time was soon though.   
  
"We will be together again my love. Very soon" he said, before going back into the shadows. 


End file.
